Geranium plant named ‘Balfanvio’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Balfanvio’, characterized by its upright and mounded growth habit; dark green-colored leaves with a distinct zonation pattern; and red purple-colored semi-double flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Balfanvio.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Balfanvio’.

The new Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new upright and vigorous Zonal Geranium cultivars that flower uniformly and have attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1999 of a proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified as code number 1164, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified as code number 6494-26, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Balfanvio was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Arroyo Grande, Calif., since September, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Balfanvio’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Balfanvio’ as a new and distinct Geranium cultivar:

1. Upright and mounded growth habit.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with a distinct zonation pattern.

3. Red purple-colored semi-double flowers.

Plants of the new Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in leaf and flower coloration.

The new Geranium can be compared to the Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Baldesvio, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,676. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Baldesvio in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Geranium had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Baldesvio.

2. Plants of the new Geranium had fewer flowers per umbel than plants of the cultivar Baldesvio.

3. Plants of the new Geranium had shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar Baldesvio.

4. Plants of the new Geranium had longer pedicels than plants of the cultivar Baldesvio.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Balfanvio’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower and flower bud of ‘Balfanvio’. Flower and foliage colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Geranium.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Balfanvio has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in West Chicago, Ill., under commercial practice in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 18 to 24° C., night temperatures ranging from 14 to 18° C. and light levels ranging from 3,500 to 6,000 foot-candles. Plants used for the photograph and description were about 12 weeks from planting rooted cuttings in 10-cm containers. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Balfanvio.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified as code number 1164, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified as code number 6494-26, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days at 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 21 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fibrous, freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright and mounded growth habit. Appropriate for 10-cm and larger containers.

Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous; about three lateral branches at the base. Pinching, that is, removal of terminal apices, will enhance lateral branch development.

Plant height (to top of foliage).—About 10.1 cm.

Plant height (to top of inflorescences).—About 19.7 cm.

Plant width.—About 19.3 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 4.3 cm. Internode length: About 7 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 143C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 11. Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate. Venation: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Velvety; densely pubescent. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 139A; zonation pattern, 147A to N189A in color and located on the outer half of the leaf. Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole: Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146B.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement and type.—Semi-double rounded flowers arranged in hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the foliage. At full flowering, usually about five opened and developing umbels per plant. Umbels persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden, flowering is continuous from spring until fall. Plants start flowering about eight weeks after planting.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two to three weeks on the plant.

Umbels.—Diameter: About 9.4 cm. Height: About 6 cm. Number of flowers per umbel: About 8. Flower diameter: About 5 cm. Flower depth (height): About 1.8 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 72D.

Petals/petaloids.—Quantity: About nine petals and about three petaloids per flower. Petaloids variable in size and shape. Arrangement: Imbricate. Petal length: Upper petals: About 2.9 cm. Lower petals: About 2.6 cm. Petal width: Upper petals: About 1.8 cm. Lower petals: About 2.1 cm. Petal shape: Obovate. Petal/petaloid apex: Rounded, obtuse. Petal/petaloid base: Attenuate. Petal/petaloid margin: Entire. Petal/petaloid texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Petal/petaloid aspect: Slightly cupped. Petal/petaloid color: When opening and fully opened, upper petals/petaloids, upper surface: Towards margin, N74A; towards base, 35A; venation, 187D; color becoming close to darker than N74A with development. When opening and fully opened, lower petals/petaloids, upper surface: N74A; color becoming close to N74A with development. When opening and fully opened, upper petals/petaloids, lower surface: 73A; venation, 72C. When opening and fully opened, lower petals/petaloids, lower surface: Lighter than N74B; venation, 71A.

Sepals.—Quantity: Five per flower; not imbricate on open flowers. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Ensiform to lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pilose. Color, upper surface: 137B. Color, lower surface: 137A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 10.5 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 146A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3.4 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 144B faintly overlain with N186D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity: About ten per flower. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: 61A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: N172C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Five or six-parted, star-shaped. Stigma color: 187D. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: 187D. Ovary color: 146C.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Pelargonium has not been observed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Balfanvio’, as herein illustrated and described. 